Posts by author

Automatic

2839 posts

Virtuoso Travel Week 2025: The new rules of luxury travel

🌍 Aug 18, 2025, Las Vegas hosts the 37th Virtuoso Travel Week, attracting nearly 4,800 participants. Luxury travel is up 12% YTD, buoyed by ultra-high-net-worth travelers. AI reshapes travel planning, and ADRs at Virtuoso hotels surpass $1,400, up 62% since 2019. U.S. inbound sales rise 4% with fall bookings surging 27%. Baby Boomers hold $83 trillion, with a 10% shift to younger generations imminent. Sustainability is paramount, with 77% of advisors noting increased interest.
View Post
Share
View Post
  • 3 min

Rethinking the reception desk

📑 Matthijs Welle announced AMANO Group's removal of reception desks to enhance guest interaction. Thijs de Boer showcases a venue's dual-day mood shifts via a split-screen: bright mornings versus dim-lit evenings. Remko West warns hotels of missed €1.7k premium pricing due to late booking trends in Northern Europe. Bruno Muchada suggests a countryside hotel purchase with potential guaranteed demand. Michael Albert introduces "Artificial Hotelligence," a tool to assess hotel visibility in AI platforms like ChatGPT.
View Post
Share
View Post
  • 1 min

AI pricing in airlines sparks backlash over ‘exploitation phase’ fares

🚀 Aug 13, 2025: Delta partners with Fetcherr, sparking concerns over AI-driven pricing. Fetcherr's AI creates complex fare models, aiming to maximize ticket prices, described as the "exploitation phase." U.S. lawmakers criticize the potential for higher fares amid rising living costs. Delta denies using personal data, but industry rivals label the tech unethical. Experts warn these pricing models might spread beyond airlines to sectors like retail and ride-hailing. Delta’s move highlights the growing influence of AI in pricing strategies.
View Post
Share
View Post
  • 1 min

Leisure travel market to triple over the next 15 years

🛫 Aug 13, 2025 – China, India, and Saudi Arabia are expected to drive global leisure travel spending from $5 trillion in 2024 to $15 trillion by 2040, according to Boston Consulting Group. China is projected to lead with over 10% annual growth. Domestic travel is the largest segment, yet international travel will increase from $424 billion to $1.4 trillion. About 70% of travelers from these regions extend work trips for leisure, prioritizing experiences over goods.
View Post
Share

How hotels are reimagining outdoor spaces

🌏 Aug 13, 2025, hotels are transforming outdoor spaces into strategic assets. Integrating landscape architecture early optimizes guest experiences by blending natural beauty with technology, like smart irrigation and sensory-driven VR. Key approaches include climate-adapted plants, engineered soil, moisture sensors, and using recycled water. These designs enhance biodiversity and regulatory compliance while maintaining aesthetics. Benefits include improved guest loyalty, reduced costs, and secured green certifications, aligning with eco-conscious travelers and investors.
View Post
Share
View Post
  • 1 min

How AI is becoming the operating system for hotels

💻 Aug 13, 2025: Hotels are transforming operations with AI as their core system. Integrated into PMS, CRS, and CRM, AI automates decisions, services, and revenue management. This technology boosts revenue by improving upsell conversion and occupancy rates without increasing staff costs. AI offers hyper-personalized guest experiences, enhancing satisfaction and loyalty. It reduces training time, speeds up responses, and removes inefficiencies, giving hotels a competitive edge in adapting to market changes and maintaining profitability.
View Post
Share

Short-term rentals outperform U.S. hotels in Q2

🏠 Aug 13, 2025, U.S.: Short-term rentals (STRs) surpassed hotels with a nine-point RevPAR lead in Q2 2025. Despite economic challenges, demand remains steady with many regions seeing double-digit gains. Mid-Atlantic saw RevPAR +11%, New England +10%, Rocky Mountains +9%, and Hawaii +6%. The Southwest experienced a decline, with RevPAR -4% due to oversupply. September occupancy is down 11% YoY. Operational agility and market-specific strategies are crucial for navigating 2025.
View Post
Share
View Post
  • 1 min

Airbnb’s new play: Hotels in the spotlight

🏨 Airbnb is aggressively integrating hotels, especially in U.S. markets with limited rental availability, aiming to convert traditional hotel guests. CEO Brian Chesky and CFO Ellie Mertz focus on independent hotels worldwide, offering competitive commissions. Many hotels join via HotelTonight, boosting U.S. promotions. Targeted growth includes heartland states and Hispanic travelers. Despite this shift, private homes remain Airbnb's core. The strategy ramps up as of August 13, 2025, focusing on existing and new partnerships.
View Post
Share

Sabre cuts growth forecast as air bookings falter

📈 Aug 12, 2025, Sabre reported a 1% revenue decline to $687 million in Q2 2025, with a 7% rise in adjusted EBITDA to $118 million, but a $256 million net loss. Air distribution revenue dropped $5 million, with a revised growth forecast of 4–10%. Hotel bookings grew 2%. Sabre postponed its low-cost carrier solution to early 2026 and completed a $1.1 billion sale of its hospitality business to TPG. Shares declined nearly 40%.
View Post
Share

Business travelers’ hotel priorities in 2025

🛠️ Aug 12, 2025 – BCD Travel surveyed 1,000+ global business travelers. Key insights show 84% book via company tools, 75% use corporate cards, and 80% are in loyalty programs. Location, policy, and cost drive hotel choices, with challenges like slow Wi-Fi and outdated rooms noted. Despite 70% policy satisfaction, 50% neglect sustainability in decisions. 30% feel unsafe at hotels, and fitness and wellness perks are growing in influence. Opportunities to enhance rate flexibility and safety remain.
View Post
Share